Equine Herpes Virus Attacks the Tracks

Maryland horses won't be accepted in Gulfstream Park or Palm Meadows Training Center. This was decided to protect other horses from getting contaminated of the equine herpes virus that is affecting some of these animals. They won't be accepting horses that have been raced or stabled in Maryland since Jan 1st, 2006. Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore is under quarantine. The Maryland Jockey Club announced that Pimlico is going to be closed until further notice. The virus is also known as "rhino". The main symptoms of this illness are: upper respiratory infection and may cause neurological disease. Eleven horses have shown symptoms of the virus and two were sacrificed. But this hasn't only affected Pimlico, at Laurel Park the decision has affected this week's racing card: on Wednesday for example, instead of nine races there will only be eight because the number of horses that have been entered for that day's program is less than 60. Penn National, like most other tracks in the region, is not accepting Maryland horses as entries. It also is not taking any horse that has competed or worked at a Maryland track since Jan. 9.